


two birds

by sparklebomb



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Angst, F/M, Obsessive Behavior, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pre-Game Akamatsu Kaede, Pre-Game Personalities (New Dangan Ronpa V3), Pre-Game Saihara Shuichi, Shuichi loves danganronpa, Slow Burn, Soulmate AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-31
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:53:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24471601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sparklebomb/pseuds/sparklebomb
Summary: ( SOULMATE AU / SAIMATSU )⇢ See colour for the first time when you meet, fades away when they die⇢ Get the same injuries as your soulmate doesShuichi Saihara doesn't believe in the concept of soulmates, or rather, he doesn't care. He doesn't believe that someone is out there destined to love him. Even if he eventually meets the right one, he's not so sure he can let go of his crazy obsession with Danganronpa.I will update the tags as the story progresses.
Relationships: Akamatsu Kaede/Saihara Shuichi
Comments: 6
Kudos: 75





	1. Chapter 1

With a quiet sigh, Shuichi presses his palms against the desk, his nails dig into the ridges of the wood to push himself up, leaving crescent marks in their wake. His dark lashes flutter for a moment, and he blinks to restore his vision. His fingers rub slow circles on his eyelids as he begins to walk out of the classroom. Today was his last day at Spring Field Academy, thankfully. Enduring three years of consistent bullying had made him reach his breaking point. It's not like he had any friends to support him, he refused to talk to anyone. Shuichi often wrapped himself in a blanket of loneliness, and in a way, he enjoyed it. He didn't have to fret over maintaining a friendship.  
  
A timid yawn snaps him away from his thoughts, he leisurely brushes his fingertips under his tear ducts, wiping away the liquid that slipped from his eyes. Getting a full night's rest was uncommon for him. It wasn't like he was an insomniac or anything, he simply preferred to keep himself awake during the night to binge his favourite show.  
  
 _That show._  
  
He can't get enough of it. His obsession towards it is what drove him apart from his family. Though Shuichi hardly feels a twinge of guilt, he doesn't even care. His parents don't matter to him. They tried to take away the only thing that made him happy. If it weren't for that show, he probably would've —  
  
He's barely able to register what's happening until the impact is partially made. His knees collide with the floor, sending sparks of pain that shoot up his legs. A startled gasp is the first thing to leave his mouth. His palms smack against the vinyl tiles, they subdue his fall before his face is able connect with the polished flooring. Shuichi can hear laughter echo around him, and he makes the mistake of looking up.  
  
A crowd of people are gathered around him, pointing fingers and mimicking his reaction. He quickly pushes himself upright, cursing under his breath at the numbness spreading throughout his limbs. The boy's hand reaches to lower his hat further, in attempt to hide his eyes. It's his fault for getting so caught up with his thoughts, it's a pretty bad problem of his. He furrows his brows, grits his teeth and prepares to jostle his way through the mass of students to get to his final class.  
  
What a terrible day..  
  
—  
  
The teenager's eyes open wearily, his cheek is pressing against his wooden desk. He can feel a faint stream of drool running down the side of his chin. _Dammit._ He must've dozed off again.  
  
Shuichi quickly rubs his face and straightens his posture, trying his best to train his eyes at the projection on the screen. It's an outline of the human body, with messy circles drawn around the vitals. What lesson was it again? Oh, right. _Biology_. His head is pounding with a dull throb, all he just wants to go home.. maybe he can take a nap when he does. He feels his forehead brush the cool fabric of his sleeve, and before he knows it, he's slipping into unconsciousness again.  
  
The intense ringing of the school bell jars his slumber. He lifts his head hesitantly, half-lidded eyes staring blankly at the stampede of students exiting the classroom. Shuichi forces himself to stand up, he swings his backpack over his shoulder and stumbles over to the exit, trailing behind his classmates like a wounded animal trying to keep up with its family.  
  
The teenager begins his tiresome walk home, as if he isn't struggling to keep his eyes open anyway. His muscles burn with fatigue, the incident from earlier today has left him more drained than usual. His hand reaches into his pocket, pulling out a smartphone which he unlocks with a peculiar five digit code; 11037. He'd set this specific passcode after finishing the first season of that show. Shuichi sees it as a personal reminder, to continue watching it _forever.. and ever and ever_ —  
  
A genuine smile curls on his lips as his eyes skim over his notifications. Someone has commented on his analysis on the current season. The comment was by an anonymous user, but still comforting nonetheless. The teenager hearts the comment and begins to type a reply. His fingers dance across the screen, stringing together sentences that introduced more of his theories. Shuichi feels a sudden strike of pain cross his right ankle, he glances down to see a river of blood seeping down his shoe. He attempts to kneel to get a closer look at his injury.  
  
Something sparks in his peripheral, causing him to crane his neck to the side to catch a better glimpse of it. It's a _survival knife_.. sticking out of the ground? Shuichi can't help but feel a flash of excitement bubble inside him before he reaches over to pull it out. The hilt is buried deep in the ground, it's hardly visible. The jagged edge of the blade is the only thing sticking out. The tip of the weapon glistens with crimson, mocking him.. almost. His palm wraps around the blade, giving it an experimental tug. It doesn't budge at all. His fingers squeeze tighter, but all he manages to do is cut himself numerous times.  
  
A dismayed look washes over the teenager's face. It looks like a cool weapon to have, something for Shuichi's collection of possible murder weapons. His knits his brows in frustration. Whatever, he has plenty of knives anyway.  
  
He heaves himself up, shoving his phone back into his pocket and resumes his walk home. Upon arrival, he dashes upstairs to his bedroom, locking the door behind him with a soft 'click'. The house is dead silent, so his uncle must've not gotten home yet.  
  
His parents had sent him to live with his uncle after being unable to separate Shuichi from the TV show. His obsession had skyrocketed after he started high school, to the point where his mother refused to acknowledge him as her son.  
  
The teenager continues his daily routine, striding over to the TV to press the power button. The screen soon lights up in front of him, streaming his favourite show, Danganronpa, live. Shuichi seats himself in front of the TV, a crazed grin spreading over his features. This goes on for hours, he's hardly stirred from the position he started in. A low growl rumbles at the back of his throat upon hearing a series of knocks on his bedroom door. He makes no effort to reply, only brings his knees to his chest while continuing to stare at the screen intensely. He can faintly hear his uncle shouting at him from behind the door, but he pays no mind. His uncle doesn't matter. No one does. Only Danganronpa.  
  
Shuichi doesn't know how long it's been. He's sitting in the dark, his fists clenching in hype for the revelation of the killer. Dry tears stain his cheeks, the result of refusing to blink. He can hear his stomach rumble, his insides twisting painfully. He can't recall the last time he's had a decent meal. Instead of fulfilling his needs, he simply clutches at his shirt with his hand. Shuichi doesn't have time to get something to eat.  
  
He can't take his eyes off the screen.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning(s) : mention of suicide

Shuichi stands in front of large building. This is it, this is Hope's Pass High School. It's overflowing with exhilarated students, but the only thing their positive aura does is anger him. The hopeful chattering swarms around him, like a provoked beehive out for vengeance. It sickens him. He can feel the bitter tinge of bile striking the taste buds at the back of his mouth. The loud ring of the school bell snaps him out of his pessimism and directs his attention to his first class, which happened to be homeroom.

The teenager begins a slow amble to his classroom, his fingers fiddling with the printed schedule he gripped tightly in his left hand.

As per usual, he's late.

Shuichi's hand twists the handle to the room, minutes after the second bell had rang. He's greeted with a vast range of curious eyes directed straight at him and hushed whispers of students discussing his late appearance with their friends. It was nothing new to him, though. He had already grown accustomed to the strange looks he'd receive on a daily basis in his old school, so what was so different about it here?

His fingers pull at the visor of his hat, slipping it down until it covers the majority of his vision. He lazily stumbles to an empty desk and slumps into the chair, waiting for a short moment before setting his backpack beside his feet.

The teacher's voice sounds cheery and upbeat, despite his delayed arrival. She seemed to be the type to let students off the hook easily, which worked out just fine for Shuichi, being the fatigued boy he was. The sleepy teenager vaguely recalls his name being called out on the register before he dozed off with his head sinking into both of his forearms.

—

The melodic sound of piano keys whirl in his mind, stringing together to create a beautiful melody that taints him with a craving for  something . He isn't able to pinpoint it yet, but a shallow ache begins to throb inside his chest. He feels a fervor of emptiness almost, like he desperately  needs something to fill the deepening void inside his heart; but that's all a lie, he doesn't need anything but danganronpa! It's been his sole obsession for the last few years and even prevented him from ending his life a few months back.

The jittery sensation pulls him out of his slumber and he rubs his eyes leisurely. This might as well be the consequence of his poor sleep schedule.

Shuichi doesn't realise the gentle melody is still present, playing at a delicate volume behind him, he simply considers it the creation of his hazy mind.. until now. Once he manages to rub away a small fraction of the fatigue clouding in his eyes, he twists around, catching wind of the instrumental at last.

His golden orbs scan the students, who seem to be crowding around a girl playing the instrument. From what he can register, she has shoulder length blonde hair that slowly flicks out towards ends of her pale locks, creating the overall impression of a semi-curl. Shuichi intends to shuffle forward, but the plastic legs of his chair scrape against the shiny flooring which result in a high-pitched whine being the consequence of friction. He notices the female's head rise up, revealing light coloured orbs shaded in a cherry pink hue that gazed directly at him.

He's bombarded with a flash of vivid colour, causing him to yelp in surprise. It was like a jumpscare, crawling behind him and preparing to pounce when he was least expecting it.

The piano stops, and numerous pairs of eyes blink at him in a confused fashion, leaving the teenager slightly embarrassed. "Ah! S-Sorry.." He stutters a frantic apology and whips around, staring intensely at a random spot on his desk, vaguely marred with subdued scratches from the previous years of use.

The teenager feels a light tap on his shoulder and slowly turns his head, eyes meeting the same girl's who he had distracted. He's never experienced such intimacy before, not even with family members. He isn't able to figure out how to confront the situation, and the heat blossoming on the surface of his cheeks confirms his decision to turn his face away.

The girl doesn't seem to mind. Actually, she finds it quite amusing, proven by the small giggle that slipped past her lips. "Hey, what's your name?"

Shuichi seems to have forgotten his own title, instead, he unintentionally sinks into the pleasing sound of her voice.

Her shy fingers gently tap his shoulder once again to gain his attention.

His response was flustered, and he didn't know what else he was supposed to say. The lower half of his face is burning with embarrassment, rendering him unable to return the question to her. The blonde's smile at his answer catches him by surprise, reddening his cheeks further.

By the time he opens his mouth, the dismissal bell sounds and the female is dragged away to her lesson by her friends. She waves to him in a friendly manner before disappearing into the crowd of students that're leaving the classroom in a frenzy.

A frustrated sigh escapes Shuichi as he slumps the straps of his backpack over his shoulder. He brings his left hand to the height of his chest, the sound of paper scraping against his nails ringing in his ears as his eyes search for whatever lesson he had to attend first. He would see her again tomorrow anyway, he could just ask her then. No big deal.

With a tired yawn, he sluggishly trails to his first class.


	3. Chapter 3

Weeks elapse, dispersing under Shuichi's nose as they pass. He's seated beside the table, having only brought an energy drink for his lunch, it's quite evident that he isn't living off of an appropriate diet. It isn't that he doesn't retain the sufficient amount of money to buy or prepare himself proper meals, rather he doesn't possess the vigour to do as such. 

Scrutinising the crimes that take place in Danganronpa simply sounds like a way better objective to devote his time to.

Since that one day, he's been viewing the world in colour. It was strange at first, but strange in a good sense, something he could easily grow accustomed to and something he preferred over his previous vision. Every now and then his thoughts would trail back to that day, the one of his first attendance to Hope's Pass, all the other beneficial changes to his life had stemmed from there.

He tightens his grasp on the bottle as he guides it to his parted lips, swallowing down a few mouthfuls before setting it back on the table. He looks bored, devoid of any interest in his eyes, not even the tiniest glint. He usually sat on his own, sipping on his drinks in the corner of the cafeteria. Friendships weren't something that drew his interest, it's not as if anyone would understand his infatuation with the show. Most of them were typical high-school students, probably with amazing home lives, the mere thought of that leaves a foul taste in his mouth.

"Hey.. Um-?" The softened voice of a female brushes over his ears, grasping his attention. Shuichi turns around, surprise widening in his eyes as he recognises the girl to be the one who'd been playing the piano so elegantly. A part of him questions what she's doing here, trying to initiate a conversation with _him_ of all people, but he shrugs it off and nods at her, prompting her to continue. "Can I sit here.. For today?" 

The query startles him, leaving him unable to utter a word. He loses his composure for a moment, wondering what possible response he could give her. He didn't exactly want to talk to people, others spiked no attentiveness from him, which often left him bored, unwilling to hold a conversation with them again; but the blonde seems desperate, her eyes watering as if she's about to cry. Despite Shuichi having a passion for Danganronpa, that didn't necessarily mean he enjoyed seeing people weep.

"S-sure?" He gestures towards the seat opposite him, a slight smile tugging at the edges of his lips. He brings the drink to his mouth again, gulping down until there was only a sip or so left. He observes her from his peripherals, watching as she seated herself and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

His initial reaction is to ask her 'what's wrong?', but he finds it difficult to bring himself to do it. Instead, he leans forward to unzip his backpack, pulling out a tiny packet of tissues and handing it to her. He looks away when speaking, averting his gaze to towards the table in replacement of her eyes. "I don't want to intrude on anything by asking.. But I don't want you to be upset either, so you can um, t-talk about it with me if you'd like?"

He gazes at her as she nods, accepting the tissues with gratitude discernible in her cherry pink orbs. Her voice sounds light, it's hardly a whisper when she speaks. "...Bad breakup." 

The teen's first reaction is to apologise to her, of course it is, when has he ever done something else? "Ah.. I'm sorry. I hope you feel better soon, -" He pauses, wondering what her name was, wait, she's told him before, hasn't she? 

"It's Kaede." She says, a slight smile pulling at the corners of her mouth, lighting up her face at his confusion, "Yours is?" She tips her head to the side, peering at him with interest drawn on her face. Embarrassed, his eyes change direction again, his cheeks flushing with gentle pink. 

"Shuichi. I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to tell you last time." 

His patent shame seems to provoke a giggle from the girl, which he isn't too exhilarated at. His fingers reach up to pull his visor down to partially conceal his eyes, but the touch of skin around his wasn't something he'd been expecting. "Huh..?" He glances forward, his face reddening further at the realisation that her palm is on his, stalling him from his intention. Kaede also looks a little ruffled, the same hue of her eyes spreading across her features, alongside that, there's a visible glimmer of joy on her face.

"Sorry! ...I just don't want you to hide your face from me." A shy laugh sounds from her mouth, trailing straight behind her words. The blonde pulls her hand down, letting it rest against the table.

"I suppose that's okay.." Shuichi inclines his head in assent, making some sort of small noise of agreement. His line of sight wavers, still hesitant to glance at her face, but it was the attempt that mattered, right? A slight frown mars his face when she pulls away, followed by him instinctively placing his hand beside hers, trying to recreate their loss of contact. "Um.. so what are your hobbies..?"

Kaede pushes her thumb to her chin in thought, the slight furrow of her eyebrows indicating that she's trying to string together a response. "Oh..! Well I love playing the piano, sometimes I like to sing too.. but I'm not very good at it. What about you, Shuichi? You sort of look like a detective to me." 

_Ah..!_ She guessed right! There's a warm feeling that swells in his chest, one of excitement. It pulses through his bloodstream, causing his lips to uplift in a pleased grin. He unintentionally twitches his fingers, placing them to be on top of her palm, impulse running solely on this sudden rush of adrenaline. "Yeah, that's right! I love detectives and I'd like to be one someday! Have you heard of um-?" He stops dead in his tracks, a sense of fear crawling up his spine. If he asked her about Danganronpa, there was a chance she would ignore him completely, cast him away just like his parents had done prior. He would only remain as a weirdo in her eyes, he didn't want that at all. He finally started talking to someone, they even speculated his form of attire correctly, it was going so well, there was no chance he could ruin it now. "Ah- nevermind.. I'm glad you guessed right."

Kaede seems a little bewildered by his sudden changes in emotion, reluctantly nodding along with his words. "That's pretty cool, I like how detectives find the truth." She leans back, drawing her hand away from him.

"I agree, the detective always ends up being my favourite character in any show." He says softly, reaching for his bottle to swallow down the last few gulps of his energy drink. Shuichi neglects eye contact, choosing to stare at the label of his bottle instead. 

They stay like this for a while, keeping to themselves as the time passes, seemingly dragging out each second further and further. Neither of them talk, the blonde reinstating her past sorrow and reposing her head in her arms whereas Shuichi picks at the plastic neck-ring on his bottle. It isn't too long before the bell rings, dismissing them from their lunch break and urging all the students to attend their next lesson. He catches sight of Kaede standing up, her frame blurring past him as she walks away, leaving him with a few parting words. 

"Goodbye! Let's talk again tomorrow, okay? I'll find you somewhere."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> waaaah sorry for the inconsistent updates :(( i've been dealing with mock exams and stuff but i'm finally done with them for the time being! i'm going to try and write more while i have the chance to

Shuichi shrieks when a pair of hands slap down on his shoulders, he frantically whips around to lock eyes with the blonde he'd introduced himself to a few days ago. Embarrassed, he turns his face away, the sides of his face beginning to flush with a bright shade of red. "K-Kaede! Don't do that again! ..You scared me."

There's an awkward giggle that sounds in the air before she apologises with an evidently softer tone and places her hand on his shoulder again. "It's lunch, I hope you don't mind me sitting next to you again?" She asks, slightly tipping her head to the side.

Shuichi nods, a timid smile widening on his features.

It felt nice to talk to somebody else for a change, instead of continuing to plummet down further into his melancholy. He's never really taken interest in anyone else before, but Kaede enticed him, in a way. Her initial guess was that he was dressed as a detective, something that failed to drive itself into other's brains when they saw him for the first time, but /she/ did. That alone spiked some sort of perplexion within him, a pleasant one at that.

They seat themselves opposite each other at the table, still somewhat shy when communicating with each other. Shuichi seems a little reluctant to pull out another energy drink, a different flavour opposed to the one he consumed the other day. Would she judge him for not eating anything? He wonders as he unscrews the lid and takes the first sip. There's a burst of cherry exploding on his taste buds, tinting his tongue with the carbonation laced with the sweet tang.

It takes him a while to glance up at her, his heartbeat uptick when they met eyes.

"So.. are you doing anything this weekend?" She prompts, resting her chin on the back of her hand as she gazes at the barren hue of the table.

He's taken aback by the sudden question, not once has anyone asked him such a thing before, he's somewhat anxious to answer. "Ah- no..?" Shuichi chews on the inside of his cheek, the sugary appeal of the cherry slowly fading from his mouth, urging him to take another sip while he waits.

"Would you like to go somewhere with me? I have a spare ticket to a theme park, but you don't have to of course, I just.. thought it would be fun." She says, bringing her clenched hand to her chest, two tickets sticking out of her clasp.

He's tempted to decline, in truth, he doesn't really understand the significance of an amusement park. It doesn't spark him with excitement like it would've if she'd aimed for a different person, but he really sees no point in playing himself as rude.

"Sure.. I've never been to one before." While the idea doesn't enthral him, it would be lying to say he wasn't at least the _tiniest_ bit interested.

The smile that lights up her face is one he won't ever forget, accompanied with the soft flush lining her cheeks; had he really been the one to evoke that reaction from her? Without realising it, Shuichi's own lips tug into a slight grin. Her radiance seemed to be contagious.

"Oh, well, I'm sure you'll love it! There are so many rides, places to eat and a lot of other things to do." Kaede diverts her train of sight as she speaks, her fingers twirling a lock of hair around themselves.

He nods, fiddling with the plastic label. "I'm.. excited..?" He breathes aloud, his own reaction coming as a surprise to him. He didn't remember the last time he felt genuine interest toward something other than Danganronpa.

He quirks an eyebrow as his eyes scan the ticket sliding across the table in his direction. Pinching it between his thumb and forefinger, he raises the small sized piece of paper and brings it to eye level. The text is a fuse of multiple colours, captivating and aesthetic in a sense. He runs his finger over the small bumps on the surface, a strange, mellow feeling blooming from the crook of his chest.

He inhales softly, his eyes piquing up to glance at her. "Thank you, Kaede.. I'm really grateful." His pleasure was evident by the lilt of his voice and the softened gleam in his eyes.

He can see the blonde's eyes watering, the shine in her pink orbs beginning to run down her cheeks in small rivers. Her tears are accompanied with an even wider smile than before, but Shuichi still wonders if she's trying to conceal her woe. Perhaps he did something that caused her to react this way. As the teen opens his mouth, he's hushed by the other's sudden outburst. "You didn't do anything.. if that's what you're thinking. I'm just.. really happy.. I thought you'd turn me down."

Her brows furl into a mixture of glee and dejection, almost as if there were a war raging between those two emotions, he noted that she seemed to switch between them a lot.

"A-Are you okay..?" He asks with a bemused tone. 

Kaede's beam is still evident on her face as she draws a breath. "..Yeah, just excited." 


End file.
